WWE issues press release on Sammartino, video from RAW

“Having sold out more than 200 shows at Madison Square Garden and being the longest reigning WWE champion in history, Bruno Sammartino is truly ‘The Living Legend,’” said Vince McMahon. “This is an extraordinary and historic moment to have Bruno take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.”

Sammartino started his WWWF career in 1959 and within a few months he was headlining shows at Madison Square Garden. After he left the WWWF, he returned to the company in 1963 and defeated “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers to win the WWWF title in under a minute.

Bruno kept the title for 7 years, 8 months, and 1 day, and eventually lost his title in January 1971 to Ivan Koloff at Madison Square Garden. His second title reign came in December 1973, defeating Stan Stasiak, and then lost the title in 1977 to “Superstar” Billy Graham.

He left WWF and then came back in 1984, helping his son David Sammartino and getting involved in some feuds of his own. He left in 1988 after he moved to doing commentary.

You can see the video that WWE presented about Sammartino yesterday on RAW below.